reptiles

Not Really Made of Wood

We are meeting a creature that you often find sunning themselves on branches along the shore of Lake Salamander. These reptiles are called Wood Turtles- but guess what, they aren’t made of wood- hehehe.

Wood Turtle Fun Facts:

These little turtles grow up to about 8 inches long.

There scutes are slightly domed shaped.

These omnivores eat fruit, leaves, insects and worms.

Wood turtles thump on the ground with their feet to make earth worms come out of the ground. They then snatch up the worms.

They are listed as Endangered by the IUCN.

It is thought that their lifespan is over 60 years old.

These neat little turtles are losing their habitats. That’s why intact and clean habitats like our lake here at camp are so important.

Armored Lizard

We decided we haven’t met enough lizards on our trip so far and headed out to meet one with some most interesting scales. This reptile was a definite look don’t touch kind of creature. Get ready to learn more about them.

Giant Girdled Lizard Fun Facts:

They are also known as the sungazer lizard.

Giant girdled lizards grow to about 7 inches long.

Though they live in rocky areas, they do dig their own burrows for shelter.

They are insectivores.

They live in groups.

They secret scents to communicate with other sungazers.

Giant girdled lizards are listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN.

We enjoyed spotting this little spiked lizard. It would be a smart predator to stay away from those scales.

Snorkeling with Greens

We decided to go snorkeling for our first time in Hawaii. The water is so gorgeous and inviting. We were excited to see what animals we would find! And wow- we met some green sea turtles grazing in the shallows!

Green Sea Turtle Fun Facts:

Green Sea Turtles have a smooth carapace.

They can grow up to 5 ft long and weigh up to 600 lbs.

The carapace (top shell) is a brown-olive color.

Green sea turtles have small heads, but strong flippers.

They are the only sea turtle that can be seen occasionally sunbathing on the beach.

Green sea turtles lay eggs on the beach.

They are herbivores. They eat sea grass, roots and algae. Young turtles are known to eat crabs and jellies.

They are listed as Endangered by IUCN.

We enjoyed seeing these majestic reptiles in the oceans. Green sea turtles get their name from their greenish skin color. It was so excited to snorkel with these sea turtles. They are known to come ashore and sun themselves on certain beaches around Hawaii- if you visit- wave quietly and from a distance!

That is One Big Snake

We are meeting another amazing animal of the Pantanal today! This reptile is largest snake by weight in the world. That’s why we are glad we saw it from a boat!

Green anaconda fun facts:

Green anacondas are giants! They can get up to 29 ft long and weigh over 500 lbs. Just to give you an idea of how long that is- a school bus is 45 ft- so they would take up 2/3 of it.

Females are larger than males!

The constrictors are carnivores. They eat small mammals, caiman and some reptiles.

Like other snakes, they have stretchy ligaments in their jaw that allow them to open wide and swallow large prey whole.

These reptiles can go weeks after eating a big meal.

They are mostly nocturnal!

Female anacondas give birth to live young, that hatch in her body! They are independent of their mothers immediately after being born.

These giants are amazing! We know people fear snakes, but we think they are awesome! These predators have been around for 100 million years, so maybe it’s time to take a new look at our legless friends and start appreciating how truly great they are!

Slow Mover

We headed to the heart of the Mojave Desert in search of one of two species of tortoises! These desert tortoises call this their home and we were thrilled to learn more about them!

Desert Tortoise Fun Facts:

These tortoises spend most of their time in burrows and shelters. They are inactive most of the year. They stay in cool areas to avoid losing water during the heat and they hibernate during the winter.

You’ll find them mostly after a rain.

They can live up to 80 years.

Desert tortoises have sharp claws that help them dig burrows. They can spend 95% of their lives in burrows.

Desert tortoises are slow growing. They still are only around 8 inches at 16 years old. They can reach up to 30 inches total.

These herbivores are listed as threatened and vulnerable- depending on the population.

Their biggest threat is habitat loss.

These amazing creatures are made for the desert. They can survive a year without direct access to water! WOW!!